Final Phase of RBJ Campus Redevelopment Breaks Ground with Luxury Apartments

Construction has kicked off on a large apartment project in a high-profile location east of downtown.

San Antonio-based developer Embrey is building the 344-unit luxury complex, called Flats at The Hatchery, on 3 acres just north of Lady Bird Lake.

The five-story building at 1310 LBJ Way will mark the final phase of the master-planned redevelopment of the 18-acre Rebekah Baines Johnson campus, which in recent years has been transformed with senior housing, retail, office and public park space. Most of the business and office space is leased.

RELATED: Rebirth of Austin’s RBJ Campus continues with opening of senior housing center

The land formerly housed only the 16-story Rebekah Baines Johnson Center for low-income senior citizens. Named after President Lyndon B. Johnson’s mother, renovation work on the RBJ Center — now called The Rebekah — is due to wrap up next month with 224 affordable units for seniors at below-market rents.

The nonprofit Austin Geriatric Center Inc. operated the center since it opened in 1972. In 2014, a master-developer group was chosen to purchase the property and transform it into the Austin Geriatric Center’s vision for a mixed-income, mixed-use community surrounding the original RBJ tower.

The redeveloped site, branded The Hatchery, consists of five phases including both market-rate and income-restricted affordable housing. A building with nearly 300 apartments for senior citizens, called the Ladybird, opened in 2023.

Once completed, the community will have 1,128 residential units with 45% within reach of low-income seniors.

For its apartment project, Embrey said it chose a name that honors the site’s history as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife hatchery that operated there from 1940 to 1968. The developer preserved and relocated mature trees on the land, including a large red oak that’s now a focal point for a park and tree-lined walkways.

Flats at The Hatchery will be "a cornerstone of the East Austin community for years to come," said Casey Klein, vice president of development for Embrey, which has been developing in the Austin market for more than 40 years.

"We’re excited to bring our signature focus on thoughtful design and high-quality living to Austin," he said in a statement. "This site represents everything we look for — proximity to major employment, walkable amenities, natural beauty, and long-term value."

Embrey develops, builds, owns and manages apartment projects and commercial properties nationwide. The firm has more than 6,000 multifamily units currently under construction or in the development pipeline across the country.

Flats at The Hatchery will have studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Embrey has not released projected rent ranges.

The first units are expected to be ready for residents in the third quarter of 2027. The project is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2028.

Amenities are to include a rooftop pool and clubhouse with skyline views overlooking the adjacent Hatchery Park, a fitness center with a sauna and cold plunge, and a courtyard with outdoor kitchens and fireplaces. The complex also will have a co-working lounge with private offices, a game room, Wi-Fi café, pet spa, and covered parking with electric vehicle charging stations.

More than 208,000 people work within a 5-mile radius, with Google, Tesla and Oracle among the major employers, Embrey said.

Construction began last month after the site was purchased from Momark Development and Southwest Strategies Group. Both Austin-based firms were part of the group the Austin Geriatric Center chose in 2014 to redevelop the site.

Momark and Southwest Strategies Group developed the market-rate housing and mixed-use components for the project, while DMA (Diana McIver and Janine Sisak) developed the affordable housing.

Prior to the Embrey, the other four other phases of the RBJ redevelopment consisted of:

• Renovation of the original 16-story RBJ Center, which is now known as The Rebekah and due to be completed in July. Monthly rents will be based on income, with rates ranging from $702 for a studio apartment up to $1,506 for a one-bedroom unit.
• The Ladybird, which has 279 affordable units for seniors. The Ladybird was built around the RBJ Center so residents could move in without being displaced once the tower renovations began. Like The Rebekah, onthly rents are based on income and range from $590 for a studio to $1,500 for a two-bedroom unit.
• The Weaver, an apartment project that opened in 2020 with 251 market-rate units. The building is named after Robert Weaver, secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration.
• 31 Navasota, a mixed-use building with tenants including Afuga Coffee, Poppi Beverages, Forrest Family Dentistry and headquarters for classical music station KMFA.

For more information on units in The Rebekah or The Ladybird, call 737-238-3525 or visit www.rbjresidences.com. The Ladybird is for residents 55 and older and The Rebekah’s is for those 62 and up.